Children of Mandalore
by Balin Lord of Moria
Summary: A series of drabbles about all the prominent Mandalorians of the Clone Wars, one drabble for each one. Includes mercenaries, commandos, pacifists, Death Watch, cadets, and traitors. I own nothing except this story.
1. Anger and Love

**Anger and Love  
**_(Kal Skirata)_

* * *

It haunted him every night. Those little, vat-grown clones on Kamino, bred only to fight and die for the Republic. As far as Kal Skirata was concerned, the Republic weren't even the "good guys" in this war, nor were the Jedi. It made him so angry to think of these Mando clones being used as cannon fodder.

But he loved those clones dearly, especially the ones he called his sons, and as a Mando mercenary, it was his duty in life to give them their lives back and a purpose of their own in Kyrimorut. The Jedi should've known better!


	2. Down and Dirty

**Down and Dirty  
**_(Walon Vau)_**  
**

* * *

Life was one long, filthy slog for him. As a borderline sociopath, Walon Vau had trained his squad to be the best there ever was in the Grand Army. But some of his men chafed under the heels of his boots, for he was dark and relentless, and his face was long and hard.

Delta Squad was the best squad of men he ever trained, but Atin had always hated him for his rough treatment of him. Vau just couldn't understand what was wrong with the people around him. He _thought_ he was doing good things. Perhaps he was wrong.


	3. Cold as Ice

**Cold as Ice  
**_(Ordo Skirata)_

(this can apply to any _Null_-class ARC trooper)_  
_

* * *

The galaxy did not love him, for the most part. They thought he was too much of a brute and a bully. Ordo knew this, but he accepted it gladly, because he really did not care. What mattered to him was earning the favor of _Kal'buir_, his adopted Mando father.

Nonetheless, it was pleasing to see that he had a woman in his life who loved him, especially since he loved her back. Next to Papa Kal, Besany Wennen was the best thing that ever happened to him, because she had genuine sympathy for the Republic's slave army and hated Republic sovereignty.


	4. Elite

**Elite  
**_(Niner)_**  
**

* * *

As leader of the elite Omega Squad, he was extremely efficient as a commando and as a killer. He was also the only member of the squad to have no love interest or personal attachments outside of his brothers and Kal Skirata. But he wouldn't let that stop him from trying to desert the army.

Unfortunately, things don't always work out the way we plan them to, and Niner was stuck in the Imperial Army for the rest of his life. And it was no fun trying to control or temper his squadmate Darman, either, whose heart was incurably broken.


	5. Heart Broken

**Heart Broken  
**_(Darman)_**  
**

* * *

Starting out as any other clone trooper, Darman never dreamed that he would fall in love with a disillusioned Jedi, neither did he think that they would have a son together. But that was life, and Etain Tur-Mukan and Venku "Kad" Skirata brought him great happiness and hope for his future. He could almost taste the freedom of independent life.

Sadly, however, Etain foolishly got herself killed by a Jedi, and despite the death being accidental, he never quite forgave the Jedi for it, spending the rest of his life hunting down Jedi for Darth Vader and the Empire.


	6. Laughter

**Laughter  
**_(Fi)_**  
**

* * *

It's all a big joke to Fi. Life, to him, should be one long stretch of comedy and enjoyment of things. He loves to trade jokes with fellow commandos like Di'kut of Aiwha Squad and Scorch of Delta Squad, two other first-rate comedians in the Special Operations Brigade.

Still, he thought that they should lighten up a bit on their humor. Di'kut was very sarcastic and sometimes cynical, and Scorch, while cheerful, usually laughed at the irony of the war they fought in. His brothers should learn to use humor for more joyful things, life a free life, and his lover, Parja Bralor.


	7. Stubborn

**Stubborn  
**_(Atin)_**  
**

* * *

"That is not the way to conduct yourself in a spec ops operation, Atin," said Vau, "and you know it!"

"Give me a break, fierfek!" shouted Atin. "I'm doing the best I can here, and-"

"Your _best_ isn't good enough, commando," Vau said angrily. "Now, step up!"

"Nothing's good enough for you, Sergeant!" Atin replied furiously. "I will not stand for this indignity anymore."

"Stubborn as ever, aren't you, _Atin?_ We really should work on that right now," said Vau.

"You gave me the Mando name for 'stubborn,' Sarge," Atin said through clenched teeth. "I'll be as stubborn as I want."


	8. Mechanical Man

**Mechanical Man  
**_(Corr)_**  
**

* * *

He was a munitions disposal specialist with two prosthetic, cybernetic hands after losing his real ones in an explosion. Oh, man, did that hurt! He had wondered ever since why he and his kind had to run into the thick of battles and get killed while Jedi and other Generals who hung back got the credit and the glory.

Maybe that's why he felt a kindred spirit in Kal Skirata, the Mandalorian merc who eventually adopted him as a son along with his other sons. Papa Kal knew what soldiers went through, and would do anything to help them, too.


	9. Leadership

**Leadership  
**_(Boss)_**  
**

* * *

Cool and taciturn were his trademarks, and he surely needed them as the leader of the famed Delta Squad. Sometimes, Boss wondered how he was able to command such respect from his three brothers. Even Sergeant Vau didn't gain as much respect from them as he did, though that was no big surprise, due to Vau's hostile personality.

Perhaps it was because Boss commanded his squad with efficiency and style over brute training. Though laconic and stern, Boss was kinder to his men than Vau was. He only wished that someday, Vau would look hard enough to learn that fact.


	10. Professional

**Professional  
**_(Fixer)_**  
**

* * *

Fixer never could understand why his brothers called each other by colorful nicknames. They all had numerical designations, and it was proper protocol within the Grand Army to address and be addressed as such. But he was very by-the-book, and he knew it was his duty, at least, to remain loyal to his calling in every way.

Of course, that didn't mean that he disregarded the ways of the Mandalorians. On the contrary, Mandalorians followed their orders without question just like the clones did. Maybe he just wanted to have the best of both worlds, or maybe not.


	11. Banter

**Banter  
**_(Scorch)_**  
**

(Scorch's thoughts)

* * *

"_You have to see the funny side of things in the army." That was what Fi said once, one of my partners in comedy in the Special Operations Brigade, and he was right. Life is one big irony of everyday war, the life-hood of the Mandalorians, and you need to find humor in it in order to cope. How else could I get through all the hellish warfare on Geonosis, the RAS Prosecutor, and Kashyyyk, among others? Unfortunately, now Boss, Fixer, and I work for an Empire now, and banter isn't welcome within its ranks._

_Oh well, that's life, I guess._


	12. The Hunt

**The Hunt  
**_(Sev)_**  
**

* * *

Life was one big, long hunt for sniper commando Sev. Like Scorch and Fi, he had a sense of humor, but it was much darker and more cynical than even Di'kut's. His skill with a rifle and his fierce personality meant quick death for many Separatists, and he claimed this talent as his contribution to the Mandalorian lifestyle.

Unfortunately, even the fiercest hunters can be taken out, and Sev suddenly disappeared on Kashyyyk, shortly before Order 66 was issued. He was never heard from again.

But missing brothers can be found, and though Sev's story is over, no one forgot him.


	13. Peace and Pacifism

**Peace and Pacifism  
**_(Duchess Satine Kryze)_**  
**

* * *

Peace. It meant everything to her. Duchess Satine was not head of the Council of Neutral Systems for nothing. She wouldn't dream of wielding any more lethal weapon than her little droid deactivator. She was highly intelligent, too, and incorruptible, unlike Jedi Barriss Offee, another woman who preferred peace. Satine would never put her personal desires above the welfare of her people or her world.

She was also very beautiful, being to Obi-Wan Kenobi what Padmé Amidala was to Anakin Skywalker, a desired lover. And unlike most Jedi, she wasn't ashamed to show her passion for life, for peace, for Obi-Wan, and for Mandalore. Brave to the end, she was ready to die for her beliefs, which earned her the ire of Pre Vizsla, Tal Merrik, and Prime Minister Almec, who were all either disguised enemies or corrupted traitors (in Merrik's case, both).

Now, however, her soul rests in peace within the embrace of the Force after she was killed by Darth Maul. Her eternal love for Obi-Wan and her uncorrupted devotion to peace and compassion ensured that one day, she and Obi-Wan would be reunited in joy and happiness.

Long live Duchess Satine of Mandalore!


	14. Loyalty

**Loyalty  
**_(Korkie Kryze)_**  
**

* * *

It was an honor to be the nephew of Duchess Satine Kryze herself. Korkie was certain that he could do everything to follow in her footsteps that he could. The Royal Academy of Government on Mandalore sought out the best students for its future leaders and peacekeepers, and his acceptance into some of the classes showed that he was almost as brilliant as his aunt.

It was Korkie's private ambition to be the next Prime Minister or Minister of Defense for Mandalore, even after Almec betrayed him, his friends, and his aunt. Korkie was one of the most loyal allies of the Duchess on the whole planet, and he wouldn't let Darth Maul or Savage Opress get away with unjustly imprisoning her. Of course, he failed to do that, and she died at the hands of the Sith, but Korkie intends to remain loyal to everything his aunt stood for, though he is not naïve enough to not carry a blaster or other weapon with him in these dark times.

His friends meant a lot to him, too. They were completely loyal to the peaceful ways of the New Mandalorians, and to him, too. _With friends like them, who needs better friends?_


	15. Guard Duty

**Guard Duty  
**_(Amis)_**  
**

* * *

He had always admired those royal guards that protected Duchess Satine. Their non-lethal batons were more capable of defeating assassins and enemy soldiers than they looked. Amis considered himself to be quite the tough guy, and it was his dream to become one of the guards, so that he could protect the Duchess of Mandalore and other important government officials of the planet.

Of course, he got more experience in being a guard than he expected when corruption took place on Mandalore during its neutrality in the Clone Wars, as well as when Darth Maul and his brother helped Death Watch take over Mandalore. But he put his back into it during both times of crisis, and gained some much needed experience he would require during the reign of the Galactic Empire. He and his friends, Korkie, Lagos, and Soniee became true heroes of Mandalore.

In addition to the customs of the New Mandalorians, Amis was also a believer in the _manda,_ the pragmatic, spiritual concept of an afterlife within an oversoul that modern Mandalorian warriors held dear. Satine and Almec didn't fully approve of this spiritual notion, but Satine did encourage him to stand up for what he believed in, regardless of whether she agreed or not.


	16. Courage

**Courage  
**_(Lagos)_**  
**

* * *

It was her destiny to become a future Duchess of Mandalore. That was what Lagos of the Royal Academy had decided. Still, she had always been a timid person in the past, making her the least adventurous of her team of foursome. It wasn't easy, working with a group of adventuresome kids, because she was not going to take chances.

She learned later, though, that she did have courage she had never known, when she drove the getaway speeder while they rescued Duchess Satine from Darth Maul. She knew from then on that she could stand up to a lot more than she thought. Maybe it had something to do with her faith in the Force to make things turn out for the better ultimately. It was always Lagos' private hope that the old legends were true that there was a consciousness for those who lived on in the Force, as well, and it comforted her when Obi-Wan Kenobi told her that Satine had said before dying that she would always love him, even in death, for she had heard an old rumor that another Jedi who once knew Satine had discovered this ability.

And if it was true, may she, her friends, and Satine find it too.


	17. Technology

**Technology  
**_(Soniee)_**  
**

* * *

This was her passion, her love in life. Soniee had even heard a rumor that she was named after some form or brand of technology. Rarely was she seen without gadgets like a display visor, a datapad, and a holocam. Sure, tech stuff had its problems and its malfunctions, but she always knew how to fix it, too. Science had lots of interesting things to say about life and the galaxy, obliterating the idea of an entity behind its creation. But she couldn't say it was all science, either, and yet, most Jedi didn't consider the Force to be like a god. So she was agnostic about the notion of the mystical Force.

This did not endear her to her friends, for they, especially Lagos, were true believers in something higher. But in the end, she decided to fit in by believing that she should live life as if there was one.

Her experiences with Almec and Maul were unlike anything she had ever thought she would have to face, and she narrowly escaped with her life. Of course, she'll have worse to face when the Empire is created, but with her friends and her precious gadgets, she could face anything.


	18. Warrior Pride

**Warrior Pride  
**_(Bo-Katan Kryze)_**  
**

* * *

They were sisters, Satine and Bo-Katan. And yet they couldn't have been more different. Satine was a pacifist and a peacemaker. Bo-Katan served in the mighty Death Watch terrorist group and led a division called the Nite Owls. Satine loved peace, while Bo-Katan loved fighting. She was mighty proud of her abilities and talents, too, and took pleasure in serving Pre Vizsla. She had a greater sense of honor, however, than Vizsla had, because she was a fairer fighter, and was more willing to help people outside of Death Watch if truly necessary. Despite her dislike for the Jedi, she was even willing to rescue Obi-Wan from Maul and Opress.

Plain-spoken and strict, she made the finest commander for the Nite Owls of Death Watch, and spoke her mind without fear. Victory was her hunger, and her thirst, and she would not give it up for anything, not even to the Sith brothers. Curiously enough, she also accepted change better than Satine did, who wouldn't give up her pacifist views for anything at all, while Katan is presumably well-prepared for the tyranny of the Sith-ruled Galactic Empire.

Let's hope that she _can_ save Mandalore from Imperial rule!


End file.
